Punishment

My protest at Balliol – LET US DISCUSS PLATO – took place on March 21, as intended. First year students of philosophy wanted to hear what I had to say on Plato. The students were genuinely interested; I enjoyed every minute of our discussion. But then a lady came – a Balliol teacher? – she came to tell us that a Balliol officer insists that we must stop. I protested: ‘As you can see, I am protesting. Protest is not supposed to be welcome by those, against whom the protest is directed.’ But the lady insisted, we stopped.

Obviously, I had to be punished: My toilet has been blocked.

Not for the first time. It happened twice before, each time clearly connected to Balliol, a clear warning: ‘Don’t you dare to go to Balliol with your LET US DISCUSS PLATO.’

When it happened the first time, I reported the crime to the local police Headquarters. When I came home, the toilet was unblocked. Of course I was left with cleaning the toilet, but I was confident that it would not happen again. I was wrong.

Next, I informed the Oxford classicists at the Department of Classics of my protest. I sent the information emails, went to the toilet; blocked again.

Next day I went to the Stroud Police Headquarters. I reported the crime; when I came home, I found my toilet unblocked.

Yesterday, i.e. a day after my LET US DISCUSS PLATO protest, my toilet was blocked again. I phoned 101, the Gloucestershire Constabulary. As far as I know, police work on Saturdays. It’s Sunday March 24, 2024; my toilet remains blocked.